ST. LOUIS — The Sharks added center depth to their lineup Tuesday, making a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire veteran Eric Fehr.
The team acquired Fehr in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft.
After auditioning Ryan Carpenter, Barclay Goodrow, Joel Ward and Danny O’Regan in the middle of their bottom line, acquiring a fourth line center became the Sharks top priority heading toward the NHL’s Feb. 26 trade deadline.
With Fehr, the Sharks are plugging the hole on their fourth line with a veteran who’s suited up for 566 NHL games over 12 seasons. Fehr won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16, playing a platoon role on the bottom line as they beat the Sharks in the final.
The 32-year old suited up for four games with the Maple Leafs this season before joining the AHL San Diego Gulls on a loan in November. Fehr leads the Gulls in goals with 17 in 34 games.
Over the past few weeks, the Sharks have reportedly shown interest in acquiring Derick Brassard of the Ottawa Senators and Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadiens, players with much higher asking prices than the seventh-round pick that general manager Doug Wilson gave up for Fehr.
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At this point, it’s unclear whether the Sharks will pursue another depth forward before the trade deadline expires on Monday.
Fehr checks off a lot of boxes in what the Sharks are looking for in a fourth line center. He joins the team with playoff experience, he skates well, he can give the group 12 responsible minutes at the bottom of the lineup and he kills penalties.
Over the course of his career, Fehr has scored 103 NHL goals while recording 202 points.